Readers will find the first in a series of Practice Bulletins in the center insert of this issue. These guidelines are important documents developed by The American's Committee on Peer Review under the leadership of Sheila Hafter Gray and approved by the Executive Council. Informed Consent to Review, the practice guideline in this issue, can easily be torn out and should be saved for future reference. Additional Practice Bulletins will be published in the future. These guidelines are of such importance that this issue of TAP is being sent to nonmember graduates of The American's institutes.
Page one features the results of the recent elections and bylaws amendments ballot. Congratulations to David Hurst, Dorothy Holmes, and Allan Compton. The big news from the December meeting is that The American will formally join the Psychoanalytic Consortium. The hours of debate and deliberation devoted to this issue are summarized in articles by Mel Mandel on the meeting of Council and Bill Jeffrey on the meeting of BOPS.
In her President's Column, Judy Schachter discusses The American's organizational infrastructure and various suggestions for change. This “nuts and bolts” topic does contain a deeper philosophy. The accurate and timely communication of information is of great value in promoting openness and democracy. Larry Chalfin remains in the philosophical mode, discussing the new standards of training being developed by BOPS.
Henry Schwartz cites the winners of this year's Sigourney awards. Congratulations to those chosen and special congratulations to one winner—The American's Committee on Scientific Activities. Robert Galatzer-Levy has recently succeeded Alvin Frank as chair of the committee.
We have two interesting articles from committees. Paul Mosher starts off with a provocative article on confidentiality—a once straightforward analytic principle that over time has become more difficult and complicated. Art Farley writes about the work of lobbyist Dan Leach and The American's need for continued vigilance. These articles are complementary. The most serious threat to confidentiality is posed by the intrusions of managed care, a favored choice among many advocates of health care reform.
In her second Candidates Column, Leslie Brown reports on the Candidates Council meeting last December and discusses a number of issues of interest to candidates and affiliate members.
Helen Fischer writes about the American Psychoanalytic Foundation fund raiser. Those attending contributed generously to the foundation. Thanks to them and to Sandy and Carol Lindemann Abend for hosting the dinner.
The IPA Congress meets in San Francisco this July. Horacio Etchegoyen writes on the history of the Congresses and invites our members to participate in this scientific and festive occasion. Chuck Fisher, Arlene Richards, and Harriet Kimble Wrye bring us up to date on the details of the programs. The American decided to forgo its own scientific program at the Annual Meeting in May, in order to encourage members to attend the Congress. To judge by the array of interesting events planned for San Francisco, the restraint seems well worth it.
Thanks to Deborah Cabaniss for developing and coordinating TAP's special section on psychoanalytic education. Paul Ornstein leads off with a thoughtful essay on analytic education in institutes. The following two articles are written by analysts from privileged perspectives. David Goldberg, current chair of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and Jim Barron, past president of the American Psychological Association's Division 39, discuss the education of psychiatric residents and clinical psychology students, respectively. It is essential that these trainees be exposed to the excitement of psychoanalysis, as it is from their ranks that most of The American's candidates emerge. Harold Kolansky adds a grace note, describing the success of analytic teaching in a Philadelphia residency program. Finally, Cabaniss writes of analysts' gratifying experiences teaching nonpsychiatric medical residents the unique value of a psychoanalytic viewpoint in understanding patients.
We begin our feature articles with two delightful interviews. Rita Frankiel talks with Betty Joseph, plenary speaker at last December's meeting, while Deborah Link interviews Lucy Daniels Inman, recently honored by The American as a Distinguished Friend of Psychoanalysis. Kenneth Gottlieb follows with a review of the recent Program for Spouses, a presentation and discussion of Melissa Nelkin's provocatively titled paper, “If I Wanted to Learn about Feelings, I Wouldn't Have Gone to Law School.”
TAP concludes on a sadder note with two eulogies. Brenda Solomon writes of Merton Gill, and Margaret Brenman-Gibson of Erik Erikson. In their time, both men were considered outside the analytic mainstream, yet both received posthumous accolades by The American. The work of Erikson was discussed at an all-day panel at the December meeting in New York, the same week Gill, barely a month after his death, was honored with a Sigourney award. Both have added to our analytic wisdom.
We are pleased to announce that Deborah Cabaniss, an analytic candidate at Columbia, and Michael Colman, editor of the Michigan Society's newsletter, have joined the TAP Editorial Board. Welcome.
Last issue we promised to shift our focus away from New York. In this issue we see again the diversity and strength of analysis throughout the country. Two other follow-ups. To date, over ninety clinical psychology and psychiatric residency training programs have accepted our offer of complimentary subscriptions to TAP. Second, the TAP survey of readers' opinions on the structure of the national meetings brought in over two hundred replies. Once they are tabulated and analyzed, TAP will report the results.
William D. Jeffrey